Sam Shetty’s top tips for building a website

When it comes time to getting your business online, knowing your competition is essential, according to Netregistry’s Online Marketing Guru, Sam Shetty. “You need to understand what your competitors are offering in terms of unique selling points,” he explains, as this is essential in ensuring that your own website stands out. This includes understanding what potential customers are looking for, what the demand for your particular product or service is and most importantly how to make your company stand out from the crowd. Afterall, the internet is far more crowded than the high street.

“Focus on providing an easy to access website with quality content that will convert visitors into potential customers,” Shetty says, “You need to know what your call to action is. Do you want online enquiries or just a simple phonecall?”

Other things you need to think about before approaching a web designer include understanding what you need to collate in terms of content. “You need to consider branding, quality images, great copy and videos,” Shetty explains, “Especially videos, because they rank well in search engines and people are often too lazy to read long copy.”

On the topic of copy, it’s essential you map out exactly what you want to share with your customers and how regularly that content will be updated, by using a content strategy. Both Google and your customers appreciate content that is up to date and accurate. It needs to be easy to read and full of keywords relevant to your business.

From there, you need to decide how you want to build your website. There are several options, from a DIY Sitebuilder with drag and drop options and easy set up, to a more complex, polished website built by a professional web designer or media agency. “It boils down to your budget,” Sam says. Netregistry offers both a DIY solution, complete with personalised email address and an in-house web design service for customers looking for something more complex.

“If you decide to go down the route of a professional web designer,” Shetty says. “It’s a good idea to ask for a portfolio of their work, so you can get a sense of what their style is and if it suits your brand. Once you’ve decided on a designer or agency, ask them about the platform they intend to use (you want something user-friendly), the ongoing running costs and if it’s possible for the designer to help you with online marketing.”

Aside from the cost of the sitebuilder or web designer, you also need to take into account the ongoing costs of your domain name (.au’s are renewed every two years), web hosting (a monthly cost) and, if you are building an e-commerce website, an SSL certificate and payment gateway service may be necessery to allow your customers to make secure online transactions.

If you want help getting your business online, talk to one of Netregistry’s web design experts today on (02) 9934 0501

Sam Shetty is an expert in Online Marketing and currently heads the Online Marketing department Netregistry. He has been offering advice and education to small business owners for over 15 years, helping them grow their business online.